2 Warps to Neptune is an attempt to document the experiences, ideas, and artifacts—the entire cultural and physical landscape, really—that defined a generation of kids in the ’70s and ’80s. My focus is on how a confluence of cultural forces—Star Wars and the resulting sci-fi boom, D&D and the fantasy boom, the evolution of the comic book industry, the video game and personal computer revolutions—gave rise to the original geek.

My thesis is that geek culture, as it’s called today, was largely inherited from the anti-establishment youth of the 1960s, whose discontent with the world as it stood led to an embrace of speculative fantasies such as The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the works of H.P. Lovecraft. There was also a general advance (or retreat) into psychedelics and the occult at the same time. With all of that in mind, I talk quite a bit about the artists, publishers, and personalities who acted as a kind of conduit through which kids of the ’70s and ’80s were exposed to the styles and attitudes of the counterculture ’60s.

2 Warps to Neptune is currently on hiatus. Please check out my new project, We Are the Mutants.

37 Responses to “About”

So very well done. It seems that 40 is the new 50 for us ’70s kids, as I’ve noticed quite a wealth of flashback-oriented “good olde days” material (including my own) getting posted up lately. It’s even beginning to show itself in the consumer market—brands targeting 40-somethings by obscure and not-so-obscure references to ’70s and ’80s pop culture.

I love this blog. I discovered it about a month ago and come back almost daily. I was born in December of 68, so this is my sweetspot as well. I have always been a sucker for the good old days and enjoy blogs like these. Even with all the advances that my kids enjoy now, I feel sorry that they did not have the childhood that I had.

Your site is filled with all types of great throwbacks! Would you be interested in contributing to beyondthegamer.com? I would be totally honored to have you aboard. You can contact me through the about page. Hope to hear from you!

Your site is my new obsession! I was born in 1974, and as I grow older the nostalgia I feel for the late 70’s-early 80’s era continues to grow (how long is an “era”, anyway?). This site is a time-warp: I can almost hear the Journey on the radio, can almost taste Burger Chef hamburgers and smell the plastic of a new action figure… Keep it up!

I never knew the people pictured here personally, but I *know* these people. From their Battlestar Galactica bed sheets, to their Space 1999 Eagle spaceships, to their Black Hole Trapper Keeper, this was me and my pals. I found myself almost recognizing people I’ve never known in these pictures. Now I know what nostalgia really feels like. Thanks so much.

I was starting to think that some of my friends were thinking that I was either making some of this stuff up or that I had a ‘unique’ memory of the 70s and 80s. Then I saw your site and there it was. The evidence. All of it. Artifacts on display from a kick-ass time in history. Thanks for making such a brilliant site. Feel free to visit blitter dot com (where I’m quite sure you’ll feel right at home).

Fellow 1972, here. I should be tackling my “to do” list, but instead I’m GLUED to your site. It’s probably wrong for a 41 y.o. woman to want the Godzilla/Tricephalon playset, but I don’t care. Thank you so much for putting this blog together – it’s a gem!

Ok, born in 1977 here, so I recognize a lot of this stuff – but some of it is new. The love of Thundarr the Barbarian is great to see, though. Man, Jack Kirby was just the best. But I digress from my actual question – did you name the blog “2 warps to Neptune” as a reference to the old arcade game “Gyruss” ? I worked at an arcade in the 1990s and waxed poetically about that game and the general heyday of video game arcades that was the 1970s and 1980s. Great blog!

Another 1972 here, but I grew up in Northeast Tennessee. I came for the pics of the 1978 Sears catalog and stayed for the obscure 70s and 80s references. You really took me back to a great time in my life. I had forgotten all about the show Double Trouble until I saw it on your blog. I do remember watching it with my brother when it aired. It seemed all our favorite shows were doomed for cancellation (i.e. Brady Brides, Manimal, Quark, etc). Maybe we just had terrible taste in television?

Anyway, terrific blog. You have made my day. I’m now off to look for Buck Rogers. That Erin Grey really did it for me.

hello from europe/ France, 1972 circa. your searches are so enthusiast. it’s a pleasure to see how the kids of america grew up (while we were kind of harassed with eastern europe/ussr lifestyle..). arcades, toys, design, great to read you !